Meridian

Watch out for dangerous dolls

Trading Standards officers have warned parents to be on the lookout for dolls that have fake CE labels and could pose a risk to children. They have been found in the Midlands and now it's feared they could be on sale in the ITV Meridian region.

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Shoppers in the Thames Valley are being warned to be on the look out for imported dolls that pose a health risk to children. The dolls found on sale in the Midlands contain a poisonous chemical which can cause cancer, deformities in unborn babies and infertility in men.

Trading Standards has received six complaints about the dolls which are imported from China. One complaint was from a mother who said her child became ill after playing with one of the dolls.

There are several designs of dolls affected, such as crawling dolls with a polka dot dress, baby dolls with a picture of an animals head on the dress and 'fruit-head' dolls, all are subject to a Europe-wide product recall.

The potentially lethal chemical contained in the dolls is phthalates, a chemical used to soften plastics. Most of the dolls do not have a CE marking, used to prove the toy meets European safety regulations.

Experts say the dolls were "potentially lethal for children" and urges anyone who has purchased a doll to return them immediately for a refund.